Spotlight on Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant found in fruits and veggies. It is an essential nutrient that, when taken in proper quantities, has a ton of health benefits. Like any vitamin deficiency, a shortage of Vitamin C can be problematic and introduce a host of issues in the short- and long-term.

Help keep your peepers healthy

Vitamin C lowers the risk of developing cataracts. It can also slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration which is the leading cause of blindness in people over age 55. Smoking and diabetes increase the risk factors for cataract formation because they deplete the body of vitamin C.

Your body does not produce or store Vitamin C so it is important to make sure you are getting enough in your daily diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends a dietary reference intake of 90 mg a day for males and 75 mg a day for females. People under stress, such as smokers, alcoholics, diabetics, pregnant women, older adults and people with chronic diseases, require more Vitamin C.

You might already be getting your daily necessary intake of vitamin C without even knowing it! A cup of orange juice contains 124 mg of vitamin C. A medium sized orange boasts 69.7 mg. The list goes on and on with other power house foods such as Spinach, tomatoes, bananas, and apples.

Additional health benefits

Keeping up with the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C will not only help your eye health, but it also helps:

Treat and prevent common cold symptoms

While Vitamin C may not prevent a cold, it can reduce the severity and duration of your cold if you do get sick.

Lower cholesterol

With the help of vitamin C, cholesterol can be converted to bile salts which can be easily eliminated from the body.

Prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging

As an antioxidant, this vitamin helps protect the skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. In addition, an adequate supply of vitamin C improves the elasticity of the skin, thereby reducing wrinkles!

Combat stress

Sufficient amounts of vitamin C are required for the synthesis of stress hormones such as adrenaline.

Put you in a better mood

This benefit might seem surprising but studies show that people who have a vitamin C deficiency often feel fatigued and depressed.

We don’t know about you, but we want to keep the eyes behind these frames happy and healthy. And now, we will go drink 1 cup of orange juice!